A Breath of Fresh Air

"ADE'S JOURNAL", 63

  It’s a cascade of sounds of instruments competing to be heard over the other and layers of uneven voices trying to out shout the other. Isn’t Sunday just a morning of mayhem. The demons are plenty in the air because every kind of religious fanatic is binding and casting them out repeatedly and into this early afternoon. I sometimes wonder how I will sound over the microphone, talking. I would never shout instead I will speak with authority and lead my flock onto the right path. I will not brainwashing them to compete with their neighbors. I will encourage everyone to be their own person and allow people choose their own fate, I must sound very naïve. Shaa, this is right now and people are just who they are.

      Everything is Fired up, I can smell it. Every sound is intense, I can taste it. And every soft wind hits me, I can see it. I Just know I am are not alone and because of it, I can taste… A Breath of Fresh Air.

 The feeling lingers on and I wait and hope this feeling disappears. The thought that I am here in this place where I imagine I am stuck. It’s not quick sand, it’s that prison the mind traps you in. Telling you that you have run out of time and it’s too late to see a way out if this rot. This plethora of discourse of reasons to just not go on.  I need to get up and complete all my unfinished tasks, starting with this one.
 The battle is real and it causes my heart to quake and then I just get up and begin. I must complete at least one task today.

  Today is cooler than most days of the week and the power supply is worse, it has not even blinked since last night. Only God knows how they justify the eight thousand naira electricity bill. I fill up the petrol generator set with petrol and then check the oil and top that up.
Now I have generated my own power and can go in and complete my fashion design project.
I have a massive trunk filled with fabric and I think of what I have not made. It’s a pair of jeans.

I illustrate and erase and then I select the jeans and satin fabric and start to measure and cut. It was a mixture of satin and jeans and then I looked up and five hours had gone.

  It has taken shape, the side pockets, back pockets and waist band and that stylish back twin triangle at the back joining the back legs to the waistband. I am sure it has a name.. The yoke of course, the bartacks and coin pockets. All I need to do now, is add the seams and join the parts together. I start with the pockets, especially the side pockets and then I hear the door bell.
It’s a miracle I hear it over the noisy generator set. I have no clue who it is and adjust my tape rule over my neck and March to the door.
It was a quaint looking chauffeur in cream uniform. His double breasted pockets were any fashion designers dream. Neat and seamless, should I make my jeans seamless?
‘Good afternoon madam'
 I was tempted to be rude and answer ‘yes’, but I was curious.
‘Good afternoon', and peeved. It means I am distracted now and would probably need two more days to finish making my satin jeans.
‘I am from Mr. Daniel Ojora…’
 I slap the door and transfer fiber on it and notice. I pick it up and look at my own clothes. There was enough fiber, I mean too much to hand pick. I look back at the trail of fiber I have left behind. I actually watch the wind transfer some fiber on the chauffeurs uniform and feel guilty.
‘Is Mr. Daniel in the limousine?’
 I ask with all the sarcasm in the world, what’s wrong with my toaster self.
‘He made me understand that you have a date’s
 I shake my head and fall forward, I totally forgot.
And honestly, was not in the mood for a playsuit or skimpy outfit today.
‘Ah, you can see I can’t make it', I say trying to annoy the messenger.
‘He said I should give you this…’, the chauffeur points to the  vehicle and a twelve year old Funke steps out with a bouquet of flowers and chocolate. The last time I saw chief Ojora's daughter and last child was at her naming. But she was a splitting image of her father. The reason I reconnected with Daniel.
‘Is that…’
‘Yes Aunt Ade', she hugs me and I let her in.
We share the Malteaser’s Chocolate and try to catch up with her dad’s gist.
‘How are you?’
‘Uncle Daniel insists I complete this task and I can travel with him in January and be on the reality show'
 She was smiling so much, I got worried.
‘Its not all fun and games'
‘Yes but look at Kylie, she did well for herself'
‘But it’s hard…’
‘Life is hard anyway'
‘Please you are not even a teenager…’
‘But to be on a show when I turn thirteen will be awesome .. ‘
She adds and preps herself to take a selfie with me. I stop her and race into the bathroom. A quick shower and a change of outfit. I choose silk pants and off shoulder chiffon white top. I wrap my hair into a top knot and go for a peachy shade of lipstick. Funke's lashes remind me to whip out mine and I pick mile high shoes. The girl was already my height at twelve.
Pearls of course, I want her friends proud of me and mostly Chief, he had to see me looking fabulous.
I step out feeling glamorous and see her take several pictures of me.
‘Don’t worry, we will both pick the best two and upload it’, Funke reassures me.
 She is like a little grown up trapped in a child’s body.
‘Hope you do have fun', I say to her a little worried.
‘Too much, my deal is to psych you to come and I can take the limousine to the go-cart arena all day'
‘Nice, I miss go-carting'
‘Should we, before we get to the yacht?’
‘Just one lap', I add crossing my fingers.

   It was four laps later with screaming and cheering and then I hear it.
‘Oh, oh'
‘Funke what?’
‘Uncle Daniel just liked our go-carting picture on Facebook'
‘That’s our current to leave, enjoy with your friends'
‘I am going with you, I want to see how you two greet each other'
‘Why?’, I was a little confused.
‘My dad wants progress report…’
‘…Chief wants what?’
‘I am kidding, I want to see which movie best describes you two together'
‘Oyaya, start going gone’, I say shoving her alone into the limousine and then I shut the door.
‘Please’, she pleads and I laugh.
‘I hope you know that most likely, Daniel and I won’t end up together'
‘Why not?’
‘Its lingered on for too long..’
‘You are stuck in the friend zone'
   I nod my head and step into the vehicle, I don’t think I believe what I just said.

  The quay is cold and hard intense winds blow and I watch Funke smile sheepishly at us, Daniel approached the vehicle and opened the door for me. We would have missed but I turn my cheek to him and air kiss the outside of his handsome face. He smiled at me and holds his gaze and I watch him. Daniel moves in to kiss me and I freeze, it was brief, wet and nice. And the flash made me look at Funke.
‘You two did not disappoint', Funke adds and crawls between us and wiggles and gets an awkward selfie of all three of us. Then she crawls back into the vehicle and kneels on the seat.
‘We can go now, you two have fun'
 I step away from the vehicle and into Daniel’s arm and warm embrace.
   
    This is going to be fun….









**"ADE'S JOURNAL", Season 3, Episode 63**
*"ADE'S JOURNAL", 63, COPYRIGHT 2018*

**BUSOLA ELEGBEDE, COPYRIGHT 2018**